Australia's resource for control of worms, flies and lice in sheep,and worms in goats

Feature articles

Lamb marking—are you using best practice?

by Lillian Mukandiwa, ParaBoss Technical Manager

Lamb marking is an important time for worm and flystrike management and a number of questions arise during this time. Do your lambs need drenching, are you assessing your lambs for breech strike susceptibility, and what breech strike prevention procedures are you using at marking? >> Read more.

Choosing the right time to apply preventative flystrike treatments

from the FlyBoss web site

In the first instance, the need to treat sheep with preventative flystrike chemical products can be greatly reduced or removed by choosing the most suitable times to shear and crutch sheep, implementing worm and dag management, and very importantly, by breeding sheep that are resistant to flystrike. If chemical treatments still become necessary there are three recommended “times” for applying preventative treatment. >> Read more.

Treating sheep for lice – what do you need to know?

from the LiceBoss web site

Treatment options need to be tailored according to the situation to gain eradication (or in long wool, effective control). An understanding of available products, the best way to apply treatments and factors that need to be taken into account will help you ensure that treatments are effective. >> Read more.

Worm control in goats for smallholders

from the WormBoss web site

Goat smallholders rarely have the infrastructure to be able to practice grazing management to create low worm-risk paddocks, but on the other hand, they are able to assess each goat individually and treat individuals as required. WormBoss has developed an integrated regional worm control program for goat smallholders across Australia. Here is a summary of the worm control components for smallholders. >> Read more.

Fast Fact: Lice Survival

Sheep lice spend their entire lifecycle on sheep and cannot survive long off their host, most die within a week when separated from sheep. They prefer to live at 37°C and 70–90 per cent humidity. They are susceptible to extremes in temperature and humidity and move up and down the wool fibre to accommodate these changes. Above 39°C the number of eggs laid is reduced, and at 45°C no eggs are laid. Also, lice and eggs do not survive extended periods of very low temperatures. Adults and nymphs can drown and eggs fail to hatch after saturation with water for more than six hours. This can occur if the fleece becomes saturated following heavy rain or if sheep are immersed in water. Survival of lice in wool on fences and in yards is very short. This is due to lack of food, exposure to sunlight and desiccation, as well as temperature fluctuations between night and day.

Worm Egg Count QA and Accreditation “are go”

WEC providers are a step closer to a scheme that will recognise and promote those delivering accurate services. Laboratories who could prepare and despatch the samples for the scheme will shortly be invited to express their interest. The scheme is anticipated to be up and running in mid 2019. >> Read more.

CSU is currently seeking applications from a Parasitologist to join a dynamic team focused on the delivery of an excellent veterinary education and to support diagnostic services through the CSU Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory (VDL). Candidates with experience in livestock parasite control are especially encouraged to apply.